Things Change Us
by MarilynnRae
Summary: Sequel to 'There's No Place Like Home'. Jo is trying to recover while Ellie is fighting everyone. Both of them are reaching out for Mac, but what happens when Mac's not there.


**Okay, this is the sequel to 'There's No Place Like Home' but the beginning is a bit slow. It about a month or so after Christmas and both Ellie and Jo are having some difficulty coping. Please R&R! **

**Crime Lab**

Jo had once again found herself in a daze as she realized her work day was nearly over with her robotically going through the motions like highway hypnosis. She had been living like this for nearly a week now, and even though the incident with Ellie had been nearly a month again Jo was finding life oddly harder.

Ellie seemed to be pulling away from Jo at times and in return reaching out for the newest member of the family, Mac. Granted Mac wasn't technically part of their small family, but after he confessed his feelings, he and Jo were rarely seen apart. Granted, they hadn't quite came out with their relationship, but they weren't exactly hiding it either.

Inhaling and running a tired hand through her hair she thought about how much things have changed. How even her closest friends were looking at her like she was about to break, or how Tyler seemed to be coming around even less often. She wanted to scream. Looking at her like she was a fragile piece of china sitting on the edge of a table made her feel like she was standing on a bridge about to dive head first into the water.

_Self-fulfilling prophesy. _Jo groaned aloud closing her hands into fist and slamming them against her desk, sending a wave of sticky notes and papers fluttering to the floor.

Immediately Jo abandoned her chair and tried to gather the mess. She was haphazardly shoving them into a pile, ignoring the aggravated tears pricked at her eyes.

"Oh, let me help you," a kind female voice said from the doorway.

Looking up to see Lindsay coming toward her and also gathering the paper, Jo resisted the urge to let the tears of frustration show. Instead she smiled greatly at her coworker and pushed the papers on her desk knowing the creases will bother her another day.

"Thanks Lindsay," Jo replied brightly standing up and smoothing her shirt. Lindsay simply smiled but didn't move. For a moment they both stood there, well aware of the elephant in the room.

"So how's Lucy?" Jo finally asked turning back to her desk and plucking off a couple outdated sticky notes.

"She's great. I actually came in here to invite you and Ellie over tonight. I'm having the team over for a movie night. Come on it'll be fun!" Lindsay beamed at Jo.

The urge to smile but politely decline washed over Jo. There wasn't a single solitary part of her than wanted to go, but in reality a night with friends would probably benefit her. The only person she's even see outside of work was Mac and he didn't really count.

"Sure. Do I need to bring anything?" Jo replied taking a seat.

"Just yourself! Come over around eight?" Jo responded only with a nod. She watched doing her best to hide her annoyance a Lindsay nearly skipped out of the room.

Immediately after Lindsay was out of side, Jo made a beeline for Mac's office. He was sitting at his desk reading a case file like it was the newest James Patterson novel. There wasn't even a hesitation when she threw open the door.

"Please go with me," she practically demanded clutching Mac's shoulder with one hand and his wrist with the other. "Please."

Mac blinked as he looked up at her. "What?"

"To Lindsay and Danny's movie night, please. I'm bringing Ellie because she needs to get out of the house just as much as I do even if it is to watch movies with her mother's friends. You have to go with me. I can't do this without you."

The nearly fearful tone had Mac's full attention. Slowly he turned his hand over and took hers. "Of course I'll go."

She wanted to kiss him right then and there but she somehow resisted the urge. Instead her hand squeezed his. Immediately he stood and reached for his coat. "Let's go get some coffee. I think you need some air."

He watched her protectively as she merely nodded. Ever since the days Ellie was gone, Jo had become somewhat darker. She smiled and laughed, but they weren't real. He hadn't heard Jo's real laugh in weeks, but worst of all he hadn't seen Jo's smile.

Though he could say the same thing about Ellie, Ellie seemed more bitter than Jo. Jo was more fearful and reserved, nervous about the dark parts of the work that had finally seemed to stretch a bit too far into her life. While Ellie was angry that it had to be her life at all.

Then there was Mac, doing his best to try and get his new found family on track. Trying to keep Jo's head above water and Ellie's level enough so she doesn't do anything to hurt herself or anyone else. He was being stretch thin at times but he'd do anything for his girls. Anything in the world to protect them.

As they reached the sidewalk, Jo immediately buried herself into Mac's side, their fingers entwining perfectly. Mac held her tight, silently promising her to never leave her. He was hers and she was his. Perhaps that was the first thing that they needed. The first step back to normal.

**Soccer Field**

Ellie stood on the soccer field. Her teammates running past her in a buzz as she held the ball beneath her left foot. It was just a warm up. She kicked the ball back and forth between her feet before charging forward towards the goal. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stopped on her left foot and swung her right hard, propelling the ball into the goal.

She ran back, continuing dribbling the ball between her feet. She felt someone slam into her side and her body crashed into the damp ground. Glaring upward she found herself staring at one her teammates who seemed less sorry than anything else.

"Oops. Sorry, I didn't see you there," the girl hissed as she glanced back at her friends and exploded in a fit of giggles.

Bracing herself and earning herself a handful of mud, Ellie jumped up. She wasn't in a forgiving mood.

"Maybe you should watch what you're doing," Ellie snapped retrieving the ball with her left foot only to get it kicked out from underneath her by the same girl.

"Maybe you should look who you're talking to."

Without hesitation, Ellie took a threatening step towards the girl and pushed her to the ground. She stood, glaring over her. "I don't care who I'm talking to."

Ellie turned around and took a step toward her ball, but she barely got a couple yards away when something slammed into the back of her head. The girls behind her burst into laughter. Enough was enough.

Before anyone knew what was going on, Ellie was being pulled of her teammate and they both were covered in mud.

"Ellie Danville!" Her coach screamed as his hands pinned her hands from hitting anyone else. Finally her arms stopped and he placed her back on the ground. But before he could even get another word out she was storming off the field, grabbing at her bag and jumping.

She growled as she pulled on her coat. All she wanted was to go home.

**Rose's Café**

Jo held her cup of coffee close to her nose and inhaled. She loved the smell of coffee probably more than she actually liked drinking it.

Mac watched her as he sat across from her, neither of them ready to take on the cold again. But just as he was about to usher her back out the door her phone rings.

"Jo Danville," Jo practically sighed as she answered. The corners of her mouth dropped into a hard frown. "I'll be there in twenty minutes."

She shoved the phone into her pocket and looked at Mac with a hint of irritation and disbelief evident. "Ellie just got kicked out of soccer practice for fighting."

**Tadahh! So what do you think? **


End file.
